Bittersweet 16 for Stanford women: Ogwumike era winding down

STANFORD -- With yet another Sweet 16 appearance at hand, the Stanford women's basketball program has every reason to be flying high. Except for one bittersweet reality: The six-year Ogwumike era is almost over.

Senior Chiney Ogwumike's record-setting career is nearing its conclusion two years after sister Nneka Ogwumike entered the WNBA as the top overall draft pick.

Coaches, players and fans will try to stay in the present Sunday at Maples Pavilion as the second-seeded Cardinal plays No. 3 Penn State. But it can't help feeling a bit like March Sadness around Stanford as one of the school's greatest players in history puts her finishing touches on a rewrite of the record books.

With Ogwumike expected to follow her sister as a No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft next month, Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said, "Don't worry about Chiney. Worry about us."

Chiney, a 6-foot-4-inch forward with a personality as big as her game, will leave atop Stanford's Mt. Rushmore of women's basketball as the Pac-12 Conference's career-scoring and -rebounding leader. With 2,673 points and 1,532 rebounds, and counting, she passed former Stanford stars Candice Wiggins and Kayla Pedersen in those categories, respectively.

Chiney Ogwumike (pronounced Shin-NAY oh-GWooM-i-kay) is one of five Stanford players to amass at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

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She is a two-time Pac-12 player of the year and defensive player of the year and was the league's player of the week nine times in 16 weeks this season. Many consider her the favorite to win college player of the year honors when those awards are announced at the Women's Final Four next weekend in Nashville, Tenn.

But Chiney's large footprint goes beyond the accumulation of statistics and awards.

Perhaps her biggest contribution this season has been in helping coalesce a team with five freshmen to lay the groundwork for the program's future.

"She is as complete a person and player who has played college basketball," said ESPN analyst Kara Lawson, who also plays for the WNBA's Washington Mystics.

"She's got that 'It' factor. People want to be around her," added Renee Brown, the WNBA's chief of basketball operations who once served as an assistant coach at Stanford and San Jose State.

The Stanford star has deflected the spotlight throughout the season despite averaging 26.6 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. The other day, Ogwumike announced she had something to say while talking about Stanford's push to reach the Final Four.

"There's no me without Mikaela Ruef," she said of the Cardinal role player sitting next to her. "She is one of the best post passers in the country. She makes things so easy for me I feel guilty if I miss a shot."

Older sister Nneka Ogwumike never saw the leadership side of Chiney blossoming the way it has this season.

"It's amazing to see someone that you know so well grow in a way you never would have expected," said Nneka, a power forward with the Los Angeles Sparks.

Nneka had always been the leader since they began playing YMCA games in suburban Houston.

But younger sister has grown up. Chiney Ogwumike's influence at Stanford extends far beyond the court. She was the instigator of the popular "Nerd City Kids" music video two years ago that has become an anthem for all Cardinal athletes. The Texan wrote the lyrics for "N-E-R-D-S," the sequel that made its debut this month.

Last week, Ogwumike finished her coursework in international relations while maintaining a 3.46 grade-point average. She has developed a close relationship with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a Stanford political scientist.

A few days after last season ended with a defeat in the Sweet 16, Ogwumike went to her parents' native Nigeria for almost two months as part of a study-abroad requirement for her major.

"She's always talking about how we can take over the world," Nneka Ogwumike said. "I just take it one day at a time when it comes to Chiney."

The Stanford basketball community doesn't have that luxury. Chiney's career is ticking down.

"It always seems like it will never end," Nneka added. "But the time is here and it is scary."